germany has some leverage in all this, doesn't it? it seems to be the country that has the most leverage. to what degree and why is that? >> the germans have a special relationship with the russians and have for -- since world war ii. this is an opportunity for chancellor merkel to influence the russians in their behavior in ukraine. the germans, like the rest of europe, care about stability in the heart of europe and ukraine is in the heart of europe, and the germans don't want to see violence, they don't want to see invasions, they don't want to see violations of sovereignty, of cross border military action. this is not in the german and european interest. the germans have a great opportunity to put pressure on the russians to change their behavior. >> and what in your view can or should the u.s. do at this juncture, what more can the u.s. do in an influential way, if possible? >> two things they can do, we can do. we can provide additional defensive equipment, supplies to the ukrainians as they act as they are now to reassert contr